08 February, 2017

Record number of civilians killed and injured in 2016 Afghan airstrikes

Air
attacks by Afghan and international forces caused a total of 590
civilian casualties in 2016 (250 deaths and 340 people injured),
almost double that of 2015.

by
Jack Serle

Part
2 - More civilians killed per strike

Across the
country in 2016 US pilots killed or injured one civilian in every
three strikes, on average – marginally less than in 2015 but still
much more often than any other year since 2009 when the US military
changed targeting rules to reduce civilian harm.

The civilian
casualty rate plummeted as a result of the new rules, which were
brought in because commanders believed the civilian deaths were
driving the Afghan people into the arms of the Taliban.

The rule
change specifically prohibited strikes on buildings in all but the
most extreme circumstances, because such attacks were most likely to
hurt civilians.

The US will
not comment on whether the rules have changed. However the Bureau has
recorded at least 73 strikes on buildings in Afghanistan – out of
1,346 in total – since it began monitoring reports of US air
attacks in Afghanistan following the end of combat operations in
December 2014.

One series
of strikes in November this year hit several buildings, killing 32
civilians. Unama says questions remain about whether the attacks were
acceptable under international law.